How does a golf cart battery charger work?
Pretty much the same way all battery chargers work: the charger puts an appropriate DC voltage across the battery, and it recharges. There are some pretty important chemical changes going on inside the battery, but that’s a lot for a simple answer. A charger for the batteries in a golf cart is more sophisticated. It will charge in three stages.
What voltage should a golf cart Charger be?
A 36V cart requires a 36 volt golf cart charger. A 48V cart requires a 48 volt golf cart charger. You can burn up your batteries if you do not charge with the proper voltage.
How to troubleshoot golf cart Charger problems?
Remove the charger plug from the back of the golf cart to disconnect it from the batteries. Unplug the charger from the wall outlet, so it’s not being supplied any power. [1] Always do this before you start troubleshooting golf cart charger problems to prevent accidents. Test your golf cart batteries to make sure they have at least 25-30 volts.
How does the OBC work on a golf cart battery charger?
When you plug the charger into your Club Car, the OBC will tell the battery charger when to start and stop charging based on the voltage levels in your batteries. As a result, golf cart battery chargers for 48 volt Club Cars need a working OBC to get them to start charging.
How does golf cart charger work?
1:354:02How Do I Read My Golf Cart Charger? | ASK DAVE - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWhen first connected a charger like this one should start at a high amperage. And gradually declineMoreWhen first connected a charger like this one should start at a high amperage. And gradually decline as the charge completes eventually reaching zero and shutting.
Are all golf cart chargers automatic?
Golf cart battery chargers for electric golf cars fall into two basic types; Automatic (newer) and Not-Automatic (older). Most of these basic charger types have an ammeter on the front to show the number of amperes being provided to the battery pack. Otherwise they are very different.
Should I keep my golf cart charger plugged in all the time?
Manufacturers suggest leaving your golf cart plugged in all of the time while using an auto battery charger, as it will keep the batteries fully charged and always available. If batteries are not charged for prolonged storage, they may damage over time and deliver less capacity.
How do I know if my club car charger is working?
If the Club Car's computer is working correctly, the relay should make a “click” sound when you plug in your charger. If it does not, then you could easily have a blown fuse. If you check the fuse and it is okay, then you could also have a damaged relay, although this is rare.
How long can you leave a golf cart plugged in?
This will allow your battery to discharge naturally, which is good for its longevity. Then, depending on the discharge rate of your specific battery, you should recharge it every 20-30 days, and repeat the process.
Does Club Car charger turn off automatically?
The timer board in the charger does the job to shut the charger off after 16 hours, even if the batteries are not fully charged. Maybe buying a new board can fix the problem.
Can you overcharge a golf cart battery?
Overcharging your golf cart batteries may damage them. It is best to use an automatic charger that turns itself off when a battery is fully charged. Some older models lack this important feature. If you must use a manual charger, don't forget to turn it off.
How long will golf cart batteries stay charged?
How Long Will a Cart Last Fully Charged? # Typically, an electric golf cart has between 45 and 90 minutes of full-power run time on a fully charged battery. Times depend on the age of the battery, with newer batteries having longer run times.
How much electricity does a golf cart charger use?
What is the cost of charging an electric golf cart? It will cost you $0.48 to $1.98 to fully charge your electric golf cart. The cost translates to $0.8 at its lowest to $0.33 per hour of charging, which is cost-efficient.
What do the lights on a golf cart charger mean?
The blinking LED lights indicate different status of charge: Short green flash = less than 80% charged. Long green flash = more than 80% charged. Solid green light = 100% charged. Red flash = fault code, charging error.
Will a golf cart charger work if batteries are dead?
0:335:42How to Charge Dead Golf Cart Batteries Manually - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipMysteries. No matter how the batteries ran low if your cart does not have enough power to driveMoreMysteries. No matter how the batteries ran low if your cart does not have enough power to drive forward it probably doesn't have enough voltage to activate a charger.
Why will my Club Car golf cart not charge?
The cause of a Club Car golf not charging is either a dead battery, a damaged power cable, or a faulty charger.
Are golf cart chargers interchangeable?
No. You must match volts to volts. A 36V cart requires a 36 volt golf cart charger. A 48V cart requires a 48 volt golf cart charger.
How do you charge a battery charger on a golf cart?
2:186:30How to Charge your Golf Cart Batteries Manually if your charger ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo what we're going to do is. Take your first positive. Right there and connect the 12 volt chargerMoreSo what we're going to do is. Take your first positive. Right there and connect the 12 volt charger lead to the first positive. Now we're not going to charge one battery at a time.
Are all ezgo chargers the same?
No worries though, because they are pretty standard and all recent models of E-Z-GO golf carts will take exactly the same plug. Old model E-Z-GO golf carts take what we called the Crowsfoot Connector. Newer model 36 volt E-Z-GO carts will use the TxT style connector or AKA D36 or D shaped connector.
How do you test a golf cart battery charger?
Turn on the Charger – Once you have the voltmeter attached to your battery charger, turn on the charger to read the electrical output. Typically, the needle on the voltmeter will move from left to right – with right being higher – to gauge the amps produced. A reading of about 36 amps is typical for a battery charger.
How does a golf cart battery charger work?
They are the life source to the cart. Most chargers work by feeding electric current through a battery, in hopes that the cells inside will hold the energy that just passed through it.
What is an off board golf cart charger?
Off-board chargers are essentially portable chargers for your golf cart batteries. A charger sitting in your garage plugged into the wall would be considered an off-board charger.
How to keep battery charger running?
Cleanliness is an obvious tip to keep that charger running for a long time. Make sure your charging plugs are always clean of dust, and that your charger is stored in a dry area. The last thing you want is your battery charger sitting in a pool of water in your garage.
What voltage do you need for a charger?
Your charger will need the right voltage and plug to match your battery. Each battery runs off a certain amount of voltage. You want to choose a charger that matches this voltage. For example, if you cart has a 24-voltage then you need a charger that is meant for 24 volts. In addition, make sure your charger has the right plug to fit your cart.
Why do batteries have fluids on top?
Fluids on the top of your batteries could mean that your batteries are over filled. If that’s the case, you’ll want to remove some of the water from the over-filled compartments.
What is the cycle life of a battery?
When purchasing a battery you want to consider cycle life and maintenance. Cycle life is how many charge and discharge cycles the battery has in its life. Having a battery that has a cycle of around 750 is optimal. Search for batteries with good reviews on the cycle life.
Can you use an off board charger on an onboard charger?
We should also mention, using an off-board charger as an on-board charger is typically frowned upon. Off-board battery chargers are built for a stable environment.
What is “Storage Mode” on my golf cart battery charger?
"Storage Mode" is a feature that comes with every Lester Electrical golf cart battery charger that we sell (except for the 48V Club Car Charge r - That battery charge r is ONLY automatic, meaning it will charge to full charge and then shut off. It will not come back on like the new Summit II battery chargers). When you plug in your charger to your cart it will fully charge the batteries. Once fully charged, the charger goes into its "storage mode" feature so long as it is connected to the golf cart and the wall. When in storage mode, it will charge your batteries only when the following two situations occur (1) the battery voltage drops to a certain predefined voltage AND (2) 10-15 days have elapsed. Once these two criteria are met, the charger will do a refresh charge to bring up the volts again to 100% fully charged. So, unlike a trickle charger that charges non-stop, the Lester charger charges only when the batteries need a good charge.
How long does it take to charge a golf cart?
It depends on three factors, 1) the quality of your batteries, 2) how discharged your batteries are and 3) the quality of your charger. If you have 5 year old batteries that are very discharged and you have a lightweight 2-5 amp charger, it may take a very long time (10 hours or more). If you have brand new batteries, they are 20-30% discharged and you've got a heavy-duty charger, it can be pretty quick (1-3 hours). Again, it depends on all of the above factors, so it really could vary quite a bit.
How Do I Troubleshoot My Golf Cart Battery Charger if It Isn't Working?
Just so you know, this situation happens EVERYDAY. The first question we always ask is, how long has it been since you've charged your batteries? We ask this because often times if it has been a while (a couple weeks or more), or if you just got brand new batteries, or if your batteries have been really run down recently, it is possible that the batteries may not have enough voltage in them for the charger to start working. An automatic golf cart battery charger needs a minimal amount of voltage in the golf cart battery to even start working. They need somewhere in the range of 20-35 volts in the batteries to allow the chargers to know that they are connected up to batteries and to kick on.
What are some symptoms of a bad golf cart battery charger vs. bad batteries?
Bad Batteries: IN GENERAL, if the charger doesn't kick on or show any signs of life when you plug it into your cart, this is most likely a battery/connection issue. Learn more about the signs of a bad golf cart battery.
Will the golf cart charger automatically stop charging once the batteries are fully charged?
Yes. All automatic chargers are designed to charge your batteries until they are fully charged and then stop charging. So you do not need to manually shut off the charger or worry about overcharging your batteries. All Lester chargers are made with a number of internal safety mechanisms that ensure that they will never overcharge batteries.
What if I charge my batteries until my battery charger stops charging, but my golf cart won’t drive very far?
You probably need to test your batteries and likely will need to get new golf cart batteries.
Should I charge the golf cart after each use?
Yes. It is healthy for the batteries to be fully charged at all times. So, you should charge your golf cart every night. Automatic golf cart chargers will shut off once the batteries are fully charged, so there isn't a concern that they will be over charged.
What Should My Golf Cart Charger Read when Fully Charged?
Modern cart battery chargers have LED lights to show the charge status. Most of these chargers will have a light displaying that the charger is plugged into the wall and another light indicating that the charger is working. Once the charge is complete, another light will turn on, generally in green next to a sign “charge complete”.
How Do You Trick a Golf Cart Charger?
When your golf cart’s batteries are completely discharged, you will have to “trick” your golf cart charger by using an automotive battery charger to manually charge them, at least to the point where your cart charger will read some voltage. That’s how you trick a golf cart charger.
What is the Proper Way to Charge an Electric Golf Cart?
If your electric golf cart batteries are in good shape, the proper way to charge an electric golf cart is to plug it into the electric network using the charger that came with your golf cart. If your golf cart didn’t come with a charger, you should find one that matches your vehicle’s charging socket and voltage specifications.
How Do You Charge a 36 Volt Golf Cart Battery?
If your golf cart has a 36-volt battery pack, it will probably have three 12v individual batteries or six 6v batteries. If you don’t have the charger that came with your golf cart, or if you need to run a maintenance charge, you can charge each battery in the pack individually and charge it.
How to Bring Golf Cart Batteries Back to Life?
When your golf cart batteries are completely dead, the best way of bringing them back to life is by charging them manually with a car battery charger. This is because your golf cart chargers are not designed to detect very low voltages and a regular car battery charger will jumpstart the process.
Can You Overcharge Golf Cart Batteries?
Overcharging golf cart batteries is dangerous and can cause damage so it’s not recommended. Batteries have many chemical components that heat up every time you charge them. Overcharging a battery will overheat these chemicals, ruining the battery and the heat buildup may make it catch fire.
How to disconnect a golf cart charger?
Disconnect your golf cart charger. Unplug the charger from the back of the golf cart and remove the charger’s power cord from the wall outlet. Always disconnect the charger before you inspect its connections to be safe. This also allows you to see areas that you can’t examine when the charger is plugged in.
Why is my golf cart battery charger not working?
Most golf cart chargers only work if the batteries they’re charging have at least 25-30 volts in them. Having batteries that are too dead is one of the most common reasons for a golf cart battery charger not working and can easily cause you to think your charger is at fault, which isn’t true!
How to clean corroded golf cart battery?
Disconnect the batteries from one another inside the golf cart. Mix equal parts water and baking soda and scrub the paste onto dirty and corroded terminals with a stiff-bristled brush.
How to check battery voltage?
Use a voltmeter or a multimeter to check your batteries’ voltage. Turn on the voltmeter or multimeter and set it to the voltage testing mode. Touch the red positive and black negative leads to the positive and negative terminals on each battery.
How to check if a charger is bent?
Inspect the two holes in the end of the charger handle closely to find the metal clips inside of them. If the clips are bent in, use a pair of needle-nose pliers to grab them and pull them back out, so they’re touching the post in the handle.
How to revive a golf cart battery?
Charge your cart’s batteries with a car battery charger if they are totally dead. Disconnect all your golf cart’s batteries from one another and remove them from your golf cart. Hook each battery up, one at a time, to a car battery charger and charge each battery for 20-30 minutes to revive them.
Can you leave golf cart batteries unused?
Avoid letting your golf cart sit unused for long periods of time, which can cause the batteries to die beyond the point that the charger will work to charge them.
How do electric golf carts work?
Electric carts use golf cart batteries voltage to turn the electric motor and it begins moving on its own. The batteries for these carts are charged from a battery charger using household outlets or solar panels energy and they do not need gasoline as fuel.
What Is The Difference Between The Gas And Electric Type Of Golf Cart?
A gasoline-powered cart uses a battery to actuate a solenoid switch that causes a starter to turn the engine over until the ignition begins. Push the gas pedal and the vehicle moves on its own. The alternator/generator recharges the battery for the next time it is needed and provides power for the lights and other golf cart accessories.
How long does a gas golf cart last?
An electric cart has an average life of 5 to 7 years for deep cycle batteries, and the deep-cycle type of battery is expensive. While gas carts have their own maintenance ...
What is a golf cart?
The term “cart”, in its purest sense, refers to a vehicle that does not travel under its own power. Golf cars, however, are most commonly referred to as golf carts. A golf cart is a type of vehicle that has been used on golf courses for many years. Golf carts are not allowed to use public roads unless they are converted to comply ...
Which is better, electric or gas golf cart?
The electric-powered golf carts may be better when it comes to environmental impact, but they will not always have as much power as a gas engine and can cost more upfront.
Can you use a golf cart on a public road?
A golf cart is a type of vehicle that has been used on golf courses for many years. Golf carts are not allowed to use public roads unless they are converted to comply with local ordinances governing speed and safety equipment.
Do electric golf carts need to be maintained?
While gas carts have their own maintenance points, electric carts must have the golf cart batteries’ water levels checked and maintained. Electrical components such as the golf cart speed controller, inductive sensor coil, and electric golf cart motor are not cheap either. These components and cable connections are not common issues you have ...
How much does a golf cart charger weigh?
First, it is significantly lighter and weighs roughly 12 pounds. Second, it can be purchased as a "shelf" or "portable" charger but it can also be purchased as an "onboard" or "builtin" charger that can be easily installed on any golf cart.
How to contact Golf Cart Battery Charger?
If these links don't help, you can always give us a call at 1-800-401-2934 or send us an email at [email protected] and we'll get you taken care of. ×.
How does a Links charger work?
Here's how they work: You plug the Links or Summit charger into your golf cart and it will charge the batteries until they are fully charged and then stop charging. The charging sequence begins with a slow blinking yellow light, which is the "bulk/start" of the charging phase.
What is a Lester Links battery charger?
The Lester Links battery charger is your heavy-duty automatic battery charger. Most golf cart owners have a familiarity with this type of charger. It's a classic. It's got a girth to it and weighs between 24 and 36 pounds, depending on the model. In addition, primarily the Links Series charger is an "off-board" or shelf charger, so usually a good spot to store it is on a shelf in the garage or shed. Also, this charger is fully repairable. So if 10 years pass and something's not working right, you can unscrew the case and swap out a fuse, relay or even transformer.
What does a green light mean on a Lester Summit charger?
The solid green light means that the batteries are fully charged and you are good to go. Below is an excerpt from the Lester Summit/Links charger manual on the various fault lights.
How long is the Lester charger warranty?
Finally, each charger model comes with a full 2 year manufacturer's warranty. So if there are any issues with your charger, you will absolutely be taken care of (read here for the Lester Warranty Statement ). Read below to learn more about the specifics of each of the Links and Summit models.
What does it mean when a battery is 80% charged?
After a period of time (which completely depends on the quality of the batteries in addition to how discharged the batteries are at a given time), the charger starts showing a fast blinking yellow light, which is the "absorption/plateau" phase, meaning that the batteries are 80% charged.